As of the beginning of 2014, my choice of vaping hardware had stabilized in a way that was very satisfying to me. I had a large stock of Kayfuns on VAMOs/Kicked mechs and small-chamber RDA bottom feeders, and I was also pleased with my BCC clearos---humble GS-H2s and GS-H5Ts with adjustable airflow---on Vision Spinner clones. Early in the year, I began using Koh Gen Do cotton (and later rayon) wicks when rebuilding the heads, which was a major upgrade over silica.
Then in the spring of 2014 came the Aspire Nautilus tank, followed in September by the iStick 20, which was the first wave in the tsunami of higher-wattage smallish box mods that followed. I went on a spending spree that netted five iStick 20Ws, two iStick 30Ws, a Cloupor Mini 30W, an IPV Mini 30W, and two iPV Mini 2 70Ws. When paired with the Atlantis, Kanger Subtank, and various RDA drippers, my vaping world was plunged into confusion and disarray that has only recently begun to shake out and re-stabilize.
In December, I discovered Protank/EVOD replacement heads with cotton-wicked vertical coils from FastTech for less than a buck each. My earlier attempts at building vertical coils in Kanger-style heads had been hit-or-miss. Getting the wicking and draw right was often frustrating, enough so that I eventually gave up and went back to the easier horizontal coil rebuilds. But the cotton vertical coil heads from FastTech are both consistent and great performers from 8 watts up to 15 watts, providing another bump up in flavor for my modest BCC clearos. With all my spiffy new gear, I'd considered retiring them, but the vertical coil heads brought them right back into the fold.
What I'm finding now is that my higher-wattage/subohm gear produces a fundamentally different kind of vaping experience. It's not "better" than my previous hardware, just
different---much more intense and aggressive. I like that, but not all the time. Sometimes I want the smoother, more balanced flavor and easy, laid-back vape of my GS clearos and Kayfuns, or the purity of my RDA bottom-feeders. In January, I wondered if my vaping might have hit a wall after four years, but that has now passed. It's all good again, and my choices are significantly expanded.
For those still using BCC clearos or Protanks, below are links to the 1.0 ohm and 1.8 ohm cotton-wicked vertical coil replacement heads at FastTech. One review states that they don't fit the T3S or MTS because the metal tops are 1mm too wide for the T3S/MTS chimneys, but they've fit perfectly on all my GS-series BCC clearos and Protank 1:
5-pack - 1.0 ohm cotton-wicked vertical coil replacement heads for Protank/Evod-style BCC clearos
5-pack - 1.8 ohm cotton-wicked vertical coil replacement heads for Protank/Evod-style BCC clearos
